Diary of an up and coming sociopath

With all my misanthropic ranting done, I’d like to focus on the more immediate effects of the day. At this point, I’ve pretty much received the larger presents, tomorrow we’ll spend some time at Nan’s and get a few smaller gifts but this here is the bulk of it. Most of it I expected, some of it I didn’t, and it occurs to me I didn’t get the Hulk DVD, which I’ll probably now buy off eBay. I did, however, get:

Futurama Series 2 DVD set (Grandparents) & Futurama Series 3 DVD set (Mum/Terry) - They were on sale in HMV, so I got both. Twice the watching time, since the commentaries are great. Practically speaking, it means I can chuck a whole new bunch of DivX-on-CD copies into storage and use their space in the CD wallet for better stuff, and that I’ll have less space on my bookshelf.

X-Men 2 DVD (Rob) - A chance to finally scrutinise that last scene. Much better film than the first, I’ll probably watch it very soon.

Tenacious D DVD (Nikki) - Permanent memory of the very concert I was at. Plus there’s a whole “extras” DVD I haven’t even prodded yet. Rob and I watched the first half of the concert while Mum and Terry cooked food.

“It’s Not the End of the World” by Kate Atkinson (Jo) - Read the first story in this, because it was short. It’s unusual to say the least, but I’m enjoying it a lot. With my newly procured monies I will also buy the other book I want, and then these two will comprise the first of 2004’s new ventures into bookreading.

Simpsons Trivia Quiz Book (Nikki) & Simpsons Desktop Calendar (Mum/Terry) - For to battle it out with other Simpsons quoting housemates for dominance. Also represents, with the Futurama DVDs, that Matt Groening is possibly gaining off my Christmas as much as I am.

LoEG Vol. 2 Hardback (Nikki) - A pretty damn classy version of a pretty damn classy graphic novel. I shall re-read both series back to back now, for a maximum LoEG experience. Also considering buying the DVD for the film, even if it was a little dodgy.

Disc Shooting thing (Nikki’s Mum) - For shooting housemates when they beat me at Simpsons trivia.

Much needed socks (Mum/Terry) & Much needed pair of jeans (Mum/Terry) - Because I hate buying clothes for myself and somehow managed to end up with only one pair of jeans that was wearable in public, and occasionally not enough pairs of socks to last through until the next wash day, forcing an immadiate washing. Admittedly, I have pairs to last me about 2 weeks but sometimes that’s how long it takes to accumulat enough whites for washing. And I wish I didn’t hear middle age creeping in at the edges there.

Amounts of Chocolate (Mum/Terry/Nikki’s Mum) - Enough to keep me going until, well, next week, I guess.

£210 cash (Dad/Mum/Terry/Other Grandparents) - Almost a month’s rent gratis. It’s going straight in the bank come the 27th, at which point I’ll pay off my debts, renew my hosting (runs out on the 28th!) amd wait for Janaury and my new loan payment, though, I do also have a couple hundred to come in for work done.

But of course, this isn’t really what today has been about. The true meaning of christmas: How close you come to throwing up pure turkey. Today it wasn’t very close, because we actually ate a castrated Cockerel. Nikki told me the name of such a beast but I can’t remember it. I’m not entirely sure how a castrated cockerel differs from a normal cockerel and indeed, how that differs from a Hen especially, there’s a slight difference in texture and taste between Hen and Cockerel, but Cockerel and de-knackered Cockerel? I don’t have a clue. It was nice all the same, and I plan to eat more later when the hunger relapse sets in.

It’s been a relaxed day, anyway. Got up at about 11, opened presents, grandparents came round, sat and talked for a bit, they left, Rob and I watched Tenacious D, then we all had lunch. I phoned Nikki, and then at about 4 we went round Dad’s for an hour and a half, before coming back so Rob could watch Eastenders, so I came up here, watched some Futurama and got this blog entry done. That’s the day so far.